1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device for vehicles and, more particularly, to a display device which is mounted on a vehicle provided with a trunk. When the cover of the trunk is open, the display device displays information indicating the open state of the cover prior to the display of other information.
2. Description of the Background Art
A vehicle is typically equipped with a display device which displays information required by a rider (or driver). The information displayed has recently become diversified with improvements in the capacity of a microcomputer and a liquid crystal display device. In Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 4-48655 for example, a maintenance period display device is disclosed which detects a traveling time or a distance traversed, then compares a result of the detection with preset maintenance information, and then displays the information on the maintenance period.
The display device displays not only such low-priority or low-emergency information such as a driving condition of the vehicle, or an operating condition of an air conditioner or audio system, but also displays high-emergency information that the rider (or driver) is required to recognize immediately.
If a large display space is continuously provided in the display section for high-emergency information, the information is easily recognizable. However, there will only be a small display space remaining for other information. In contrast, when display space is allocated equally irrespective of the quality of emergency of the information, it will become difficult to quickly and reliably recognize high-priority or high-emergency information.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a display device for vehicles which is capable of solving the above-described technical problems, which quickly and reliably recognizes high-priority or high-emergency information, and provides a sufficient display space for other kinds of information.
To attain the above-described object, this invention provides a display device for a vehicle which is mounted on a vehicle having a trunk provided with a cover body. The display device has a display section on which an unlimited display pattern may be displayed. The display device includes an open state detecting means which detects when the cover body is open, a warning design pattern generating means which generates a visual warning design pattern for warning that the cover body is open, and a warning display priority means which displays the warning design pattern on the display section prior to other information when the open state of the cover body is detected.
When the open state of the trunk cover body is detected, the warning design pattern is displayed on the display screen of the display device indicating that the cover body is open, prior to the display of ordinary information such as vehicle operation information. Therefore, the rider can see quickly and exactly that the cover body is open. Furthermore, when the cover body is in a closed position, no warning design pattern is displayed. Therefore, neither the display of other information will be disturbed nor the display space for other information will decrease.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.